PG Year pupils explore entrepreneurship through Business and Enterprise

25 September 2026

Designed for young people aged 18 to 19, the PG Year offers an experience that bridges the gap between school and university. Alongside academic study, pupils are given greater independence and opportunities to learn through discussion, exploration and practical experience.

The Business and Enterprise course is a perfect example of this approach, with a small-group format that feels much more like a university tutorial than a traditional school lesson.

A university-style tutorial environment

In the Business and Enterprise class, lessons have a distinctly different feel. Rather than sitting through a conventional teacher-led lesson, pupils are encouraged to contribute, question, challenge and develop ideas together.

The small group creates an environment similar to a university tutorial, where discussion is central to the learning experience. Pupils have the opportunity to articulate their thinking, respond to different perspectives and receive immediate feedback, while the teacher acts as a facilitator and guide.

There is space to explore a question from different angles, challenge an assumption or completely rethink an idea, giving pupils a level of academic independence that is an important part of preparing for university and life beyond school.

“What I really like about the course we’ve designed is the sense of positivity, innovation and joy. There is time and space to have an idea, change your mind, disagree, test something, get it wrong and improve it.”

– Simon Brian, Head

The small-group dynamic is already working particularly well, creating a collaborative environment where pupils can learn from one another as much as from their teacher.

Starting with people, not products

The course begins with a simple principle: great businesses start with people, not products.

Rather than asking pupils to immediately come up with a business idea, they first learn how to understand a customer properly: who they are, what matters to them, what frustrates them, and what they are trying to achieve.

From there, pupils will begin to shape their own ideas, build business models, test their thinking, and eventually pitch something of their own.

This process encourages pupils to think beyond the initial idea and ask the questions that underpin successful businesses: What problem am I solving? Who am I solving it for? What value could I create? And how do I know that my idea actually works?

Learning by doing — and learning from getting it wrong

A defining feature of the course is the freedom to experiment.

Pupils are encouraged to have an idea, test it, change their minds, disagree with one another and try again. Getting something wrong is not treated as a setback, but as an important part of the learning process.

That approach is closely aligned with the inquiry-led nature of an IB education, where questioning, reflection and learning through exploration are central to the experience.

It also reflects the kind of learning pupils will encounter beyond school. University tutorials and seminars require students to arrive prepared to discuss ideas, defend their thinking, respond to challenge and take greater responsibility for their own learning.

Business and Enterprise provides a practical setting in which pupils can begin developing those habits.

Developing confidence and independence

The course is about much more than learning how to start a business.

Through Business and Enterprise, pupils are developing confidence in expressing their ideas, collaborating with others, solving problems and making decisions. They are learning to recognise opportunities and, importantly, to believe that they can create something worthwhile from their own ideas.

That makes the course particularly well suited to the St Leonards PG Year. At 18-19, pupils are at an important point of transition, and the programme is designed to give them the independence and practical experience to approach their next stage with greater confidence.

Whether their future lies in business, university, the creative industries, sport or another field entirely, the ability to think independently, communicate effectively and respond positively to challenge is valuable.

Preparing for the next step

The Business and Enterprise course is one part of the wider St Leonards PG experience, which is designed to bridge the transition between secondary education and what comes next.

With its small-group, tutorial-style approach, the course gives pupils a taste of the greater independence they can expect at university, while providing the support and guidance of the St Leonards environment.

It is practical, creative and deliberately collaborative, giving pupils the freedom to explore what they can do, rather than simply being told what they need to learn.

About the St Leonards PG Year

The St Leonards PG Year is a specialist programme for students aged 18–19 who have completed secondary school and want to develop academically, personally and practically before their next step.

Based in St Andrews, Scotland, the programme combines academic study with university-style learning, practical experiences and opportunities to develop independence, pursue individual interests and prepare for future university and career pathways.